The defeat means Royston have won two and lost two of their opening four league games as manager Steve Castle struggles to impose some consistency on his troops.

Royston were the quickest out of the blocks playing a passing game on the flat Haywood Way surface but Aylesbury did have their chances.

Sean Sonner picked the ball up for the Moles on the right and his cross into the six yard box found Sonny French who was tackled.

The ball flew off his shin and Crows keeper Paul Bastock tipped it onto the post. The ball then came back into French’s path, again out wide on the edge of the six yard box, but all he could do was flash the ball across the penalty area.

Aylesbury took the lead in the 38th minute after a jinking run from French was ended by the last defender.

The ball bounced to Gareth Price on the angle of the penalty area who cut in onto his left foot and smashed the ball past Bastock in the Royston goal.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first with Royston having lots of the ball and Aylesbury being pushed further back in a rear guard action.

The Crows piled on the pressure and even keeper Bastock was up for corners as the game came to it’s end, but ultimately it was the hosts that claimed the three points.

The defeat turned the highs of Royston’s last-gasp victory against Northwood Town, courtesy of a late Chris Watters strike, on Saturday into a distant memory.

On 36 minutes former Brighton & Hove Albion man Gary Hart executed a sharp class turn and lay off to Ryan Lockett who still had a bit to do by side stepping the keeper and finishing with an accurate low shot inside the near post.

Home team substitute Nana Asamoah struck low to Bastock’s left to punish the Crows for their poor period of play on the 70-minute mark, but late drama was reserved for Castle’s side.

Bastock kicked the ball up to Hart who set up Watters for a superb low left-foot accurate finish to take all three important points in a well-contested and highly exciting league encounter.